Parents, tax payers and community members respectfully request that the Connecticut Education Committee raise the two bills below for a public hearing in the 2019 legislative session:

· Senate Bill 574 (An Act Concerning the Prudence Crandall Safety and Learning Initiative) and

· Senate Bill 580 (or identical bills SB 583, HB 5176, HB 6193) (An Act Prohibiting the Disaggregation of Student Data by Ethnic Subgroups in the Public-School Information System). 

Both bills intend to ensure every child in Connecticut receive access to a safe school environment and a fair chance for a quality education, regardless of their skin color or ancestors’ nation of origin.

Education is a pillar of freedom. As a result, lawmakers and public schools should focus on each student as an individual rather than their racial or ethnic group they belong to. Any attempt at racial/ethnic quotas is always counter-productive: a superficial “diversity” often resulting in losing focus on real issues, such as un safe and/or failing public schools.

In addition, it exposes our children to prejudgments and stereotypes because of their racial/ethnic profile, and more dangerously, puts one group of people against another. This fractures our already divided communities and fosters isolation, fear, and hatred.

If you care about all children, we strongly urge you to sign this petition to bring these bills up for a public discussion. A public hearing would serve to discuss the role of race and ethnicity in our state’s public education system, which is a paramount issue throughout the country.

Let us work together to give each child a fair chance at an improved quality of life by making our state, country and future generations more united for liberty and justice for all.